The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for reading to be used in POS (point of sales) system or distribution control, and installed, for example, at a shop cashier counter for optically reading article barcodes given to articles. More particularly this invention relates to a method of and apparatus for reading that may be controllable according to personal characteristics such as habits or rhythm of operators.
Recently, in POS system or distribution control, it is widely practiced to read the barcodes attached to articles (xe2x80x9carticle barcodexe2x80x9d) by using a barcode reader, and process and manage merchandise accounting settlement.
FIG. 19 explains operation by using a conventional barcode reader 20. The cashier counter 10 is installed in the shop, and this is the counter where the customer 50 purchasing the article 70 in the shop pays for the purchase amount of the article. The barcode reader 20 is installed for optically recording the article barcode 71 attached to the article 70.
FIG. 20 shows in detail the article barcode 71. The article barcode 71 is composed of white bars (having high reflectivity) for reflecting the beam (laser light) emitted from the barcode reader 20, and black bars (having low reflectivity) for absorbing the beam according to the arrangement specified in JAN (Japan Article Number) standard. Other barcode standards include UPC (Universal Product Code) and EAN (European Article Number).
The article barcode 71 expresses, from left to right in the diagram, characters of xe2x80x9c49xe2x80x9d corresponding to the country code, xe2x80x9c02100xe2x80x9d to the article manufacturer code, xe2x80x9c03139xe2x80x9d to the article item code, and xe2x80x9c4xe2x80x9d to the check digit code.
The casing 21 incorporates the reading window 22 and the operation panel 23. The reading window 22 is made of reinforced glass or the like, and has a function of guiding the beam (laser light) emitted from an optical unit (not shown) built in the casing 21 into an upper reading space, and a function of guiding the reflection beam reflected by the article barcode 71 existing in the reading space into the optical unit. The operation panel 23 comprises function keys, numeric keys, and others, and used for various settings and inputs.
An electric configuration of the barcode reader 20 is explained by referring to FIG. 21. In the diagram, same parts as in FIG. 19 are identified with same reference numerals. In the barcode reader 20, an optical unit 24 has a function of emitting beams B1, B2, and B3 of laser light sequentially and continuously to the reading window 22.
The optical unit 24 also has a function of receiving reflected beam R1, R2, or R3 of any one of beams of B1, B2, and B3 reflected by the article barcode 71 through the reading window 22, and issuing as reflected beam signal Sr1, Sr2, or Sr3.
More specifically, the optical unit 24 for realizing this function comprises a laser light generator for generating laser light, a polygon mirror having a reflecting plane, a motor for rotating and driving the polygon mirror, and a trihedral mirror for dividing the laser light reflected by the polygon mirror into beams B1, B2, and B3, and reflecting toward the reading window 22. The optical unit 24 has a reflected beam detector for receiving reflected beam R1, R2, or R3, and converting into reflected beam signal Sr1, Sr2, or Sr3.
The barcode demodulator 25 executes demodulation process of generating demodulated data corresponding to the characters of the article barcode 71, on the basis of the reflected beam signal Sr1, Sr2, or Sr3.
This barcode demodulator 25 comprises an A/D (Analog/Digital) converter for converting reflected beam signal Sr1, Sr2, or Sr3 into digital data, and a bar width counter for counting the black bar width and white bar width of black bars and white bars of the article barcode 71.
The barcode demodulator 25 further comprises a demodulator for demodulating the characters of the article barcode 71, and obtaining the demodulation result as demodulated data, on the basis of the demodulation table showing the correlative relation of the combination of black bar width and white bar width and the characters, and the demodulation table of the counting result of the bar width counter.
The controller 26 controls output of laser light in the optical unit 24, controls payment on the basis of demodulated data from the barcode demodulator 25, and controls communication with outside. The speaker 27 generates a reading sound upon completion of reading of article barcode 71.
The setting unit 28 sets, for example, operation interval, reading time, double read ban time, volume and/or tone of reading sound, and other setting information (parameters) as default values. In this barcode reader 20, only the person in charge of the manufacturer of the barcode reader 20 is allowed to set initially or set again the setting information.
FIG. 22A is a time chart showing the operation interval, reading time, and double read ban time composing the setting information. In the diagram, operation interval T1a is an effective time interval from operation for reading an article barcode given to a certain article (for example, first article) (time t1a) to operation for reading an article barcode given to other article (for example, second article) (time t3a). In this operation interval T1a, only one operation is valid for one kind of article.
That is, in this operation interval T1a, if two operations are attempted consecutively for two articles of different kinds, only the first operation is valid. The second operation is invalid. This is intended to prevent reading error due to mixing of reading results of barcodes given to two different articles.
Reading time T2a is an effective time from start of reading of a barcode given to a certain article (for example, first article) (time t1a) until end of reading (time t2a) In this operation interval T2a, only one operation is valid for a same article.
That is, in this reading time T2a, if two operations are attempted consecutively for one article, only the first operation is valid. The second operation is invalid. This is intended to prevent double reading of a barcode concerning a same article.
Double read ban time T3a is a duration from end time of reading time T2a (time t2a) till end time of operation interval T1a (time t3a), and this is the time to ban double reading of a same article. Therefore, operation in the double read ban time T3a is invalid.
Thus, in the conventional barcode reader 20, the operation interval, reading time, double read ban time, and volume and/or tone are set by default as setting information. Therefore, the operator is requested to operate according to the setting information.
The memory unit 29 stores the setting information set in the setting unit 28 (operation interval, reading time, double read ban time, and volume and/or tone). The display unit 30 is a CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube) or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), which displays the article name, subtotal amount and total amount to the customer. The interface 31 makes communications with an external device. A bus 32 connects the parts.
The host device 33 is connected to the interface 31. In a shop having many cashier counters, many barcode readers, not shown, are connected to the host device 33.
The host device 33 is installed in the shop, and collects and processes POS data relating to sales, article stock information, and others from the barcode reader 20. The host device 33 is connected to the upper level device 34. In a company running a plurality of shops, a plurality of host devices (at a plurality of s-hops) are connected to the upper level device 34. The upper level device 34 is to collect and process POS data of each shop.
In this configuration, when the customer 50 shown in FIG. 19 puts a shopping basket 60 containing a plurality of articles (not shown) including the article 70 on a cashier counter 10, the operator 40 picks up one article from the shopping basket 60, moves it from right to left in the drawing in the reading space above the reading window 22 (this operation is scanning), and puts it into a shopping basket 80 at the left side, and this operation is repeated as many times as the number of articles.
While the final article 70 taken out from the shopping basket 60 is being passed through the reading space above the reading window 22 shown in FIG. 21, at a certain time, one of beams B1, B2, and B3 sequentially emitted from the optical unit 24 through the reading window 22, for example, beam B1 is reflected by the article barcode 71. As a result, reflected beam R1 corresponding to beam B1 is received in the optical unit 24 through the reading window 22. From this optical unit 24, reflected beam signal Sr1 corresponding to reflected beam R1 is issued to the barcode demodulator 25 through the bus 32.
In the barcode modulator 25, the characters (xe2x80x9c4902100031394xe2x80x9d) of the article barcode 71 (see FIG. 20) are demodulated according to the reflected beam signal Sr1, and the demodulated data is issued to the controller 26. The controller 26, according to the demodulated data, executes processing for displaying the price of the article 70 or total amount in the display unit 30.
In the operation by the operator 40, the operation interval T1a, reading time T2a, and double read ban time T3a shown in FIG. 22A are applied.
Therefore, if article barcodes of different kinds are read twice within the operation interval T1a, or a barcode of a same article is read twice within the reading time T2, or a barcode is read within the double read ban time T3a, it results in a reading error, and operation must be done again.
As explained by referring to FIG. 22A, in the conventional barcode reader 20, the operation interval, reading time, and double read ban time are fixed values and set as the setting information about the operation, and after setting, if operation is not done according to the setting information, it results in a reading error.
Therefore, in an existing shop, a new operator must be trained and educated to get accustomed to the rhythm of the fixed operation conforming to the setting information, and it has been attempted to lower the reading error rate and raise the operation efficiency. In the conventional barcode reader 20, the operator must follow the rhythm of the operation set uniformly at the apparatus side.
However, individual operators differ in the sense of rhythm, habitual manner in operation, and personal features, and there is an individual difference in the results of training and education.
That is, an operator having a good sense of rhythm is quick to get accustomed to the rhythm of the barcode reader 20 side, and tends to be lower in reading error rate. By contrast, an operator lacking a sense of rhythm or having a habitual manner causing reading error tends to be higher in reading error rate. Moreover, in the case of an operator high in reading error rate, the customer is forced to wait while repeating the operation, and the quality of customer service is lowered.
The problem is described by referring to FIG. 22A and FIG. 22B. FIG. 22A is a time chart showing an ideal setting information (operation interval T1a, reading time T2a, and double read ban time T3a) suited to the personal features of Mr. Yamada (an operator).
FIG. 22B is a time chart showing an ideal setting information (operation interval T1b, reading time T2b, and double read ban time T3b) suited to the personal features of Mr. Suzuki (other operator). The operation interval T1b, reading time T2b, and double read ban time T3b correspond to the operation interval T1a, reading time T2a, and double read ban time T3a shown in FIG. 22A.
The operation interval T1b, reading time T2b, and double read ban time T3b are shorter than the operation interval T1a, reading time T2a, and double read ban time T3a shown in FIG. 22A. Therefore, by nature, Mr. Suzuki is quicker in action than Mr. Yamada, and is hence higher in efficiency.
However, when Mr. Suzuki operates in the environments by the default setting information of the barcode reader 20 suited to Mr. Yamada shown in FIG. 22A, since reading of second article starts (time t3b, FIG. 22B) within the double read ban time T3a (time t2a to time t3a) shown in FIG. 22A, a reading error occurs. In such environments, the number of articles being read per unit time is decreased, and contrary to the actual ability, the operation efficiency of Mr. Suzuki is lowered.
Also in the individual barcode reader 20, the volume and/or tone of the reading sound is fixed as setting information. Therefore, every operator hears the reading sound of same volume and/or tone at every operation whether consciously or not.
Hitherto, since whether sound is good or bad depends on personal preference, reading sound of same volume and/or tone may comfortable to one operator, but may be unpleasant for other operator.
If operation is continued in an unpleasant atmosphere, the operator is stressed, and the working efficiency which is known to be closely related with the stress is lowered, the rhythm of operation is disturbed, and reading errors may occur frequently.
In the conventional barcode reader 20, operator""s personal features such rhythm, habitual manner and preference are ignored, and the operator is forced to get accustomed to the fixed operation rhythm and reading sound of the apparatus side, and it may lead to increase of reading error rate and decline of operation efficiency.
It is an object of this invention to provide the method of and apparatus for reading capable of lowering the code reading error rate and increasing the efficiency.
The apparatus according to one aspect of this invention comprises a reading unit which reads a code given to a commodity; an individual operator setting information collecting unit which collects individual operator setting information depending on personal features of operators engaged in operation for reading the code; a setting unit which sets operation standard on the basis of the individual operator setting information corresponding to a specific operator before the operation; and a monitoring unit which monitors whether the operation relating to the operator conforms to the operation standard or not.
The apparatus according to another aspect of this invention comprises a reading unit which reads a code given to a commodity by using at least one beam of the plurality of beams; and a frequent beam specifying unit which specifies the most frequently used beam of the plurality of beams owing to the personal features of the operator in the operation for reading the code. The reading unit reads the code by using the specified beam preferentially.
The apparatus according to still another aspect of this invention comprises a reading unit which reads pertinent individual operator setting information from a portable recording medium recording individual operator setting information depending on personal features of operators engaged in operation for reading the code; a setting unit which sets operation standard on the basis of the read individual operator setting information; and a processing unit which processes the code reading on the basis of the set operation standard.
The apparatus according to still another aspect of this invention comprises a storing unit which stores individual operator setting information depending on personal features of operators engaged in operation for reading the code; a setting unit which sets operation standard on the basis of the stored individual operator setting information; and a processing unit which processes the code reading on the basis of the set operation standard.
The apparatus according to still another aspect of this invention comprises a collecting unit which collects individual operator setting information depending on personal features of operators engaged in operation for reading the code; a setting unit which sets operation standard on the basis of the collected individual operator setting information; and a processing unit which processes the code reading on the basis of the set operation standard.
The method according to still another aspect of this invention comprises the steps of reading a code given to a commodity; collecting individual operator setting information depending on personal features of operators engaged in operation for reading the code; setting operation standard on the basis of the individual operator setting information corresponding to a specific operator before the operation; and monitoring whether the operation relating to the operator conforms to the operation standard or not.
The method according to still another aspect of this invention comprises the steps of reading a code given to a commodity by using at least one beam of the plurality of beams; and specifying the most frequently used beam of the plurality of beams owing to the personal features of the operator in the operation for reading the code. The code is read in the reading step by using the specified beam preferentially.